Science Behind Diwali Rituals

Many-many happy wishes to you on Diwali and all the festivals associated with it.

In India, during this Diwali period, the festivity & celebration are at the peak. The life is full of joy, thrill & happiness.

As we all know, many rituals are attached with these series of festivals which are followed with lot of devotion, dedication and trust.

An Intellectual Question

Sometimes back, someone has sent a message on WhatsApp group that how come buying utensils or gold & silver ornaments, on a festival two days before Diwali (Called Dhanteras) can make us rich.

On the contrary, to buy these things we have to shell out our saving. So logically, instead of becoming rich, we will become poor by that much amount of money.

One of the answers that were posted to its reply was that you should not challenge the sentiments & belief attached with these rituals. If you do not want, do not follow; but do not send these types of posts on the group.

I was surprised not by the question but by the answer

I remember an old statement of Albert Einstein who has rightly said, “Science without Religion is lame and Religion without science is blind.”

So I thought to write this blog “Science behind Diwali rituals”. There are some important reasons to it:

Many people, especially the present generation, who are highly intellectual will not agree to follow the rituals if Science behind Diwali Rituals is not known. I am in support of the intellectual growth. However, it should be logically satisfied.

The way I see, Diwali is not only a festival which is celebrated only by certain people through certain rituals; but a way to live the life that can bring success, health, happiness, prosperity and cordial relations to everyone. I do not think, there is anyone who does not want any of these things in his life.

Conquer The Success, as you know, is to become Successful together with Health, Happiness & Cordial relations. Therefore, the “Science Behind Diwali Rituals” is one of the topics close to my heart and motivates me to write this blog.

The topic is long and it will lose its essence if I break it into different blogs. Therefore, it has become a little longer than usual.

But I am sure, those who want to achieve Success in their life together with health, happiness and cordial relations with family & friends; they will not find it long.

Anyway, it is much smaller as compared to a book.

However, for those who understand well by listening, my videos are attached at the end of this blog.

SCIENCE BEHIND DIWALI RITUALS

The Festivals Associated with Diwali

Diwali is a series of five days of five festivals.

Dhanteras: It is celebrated 2 days before Diwali.

Choti Diwali: One day before Diwali

Diwali: The Main Festival

Govardhan Pooja: Next day after Diwali

Bhai Dauj: Two Days after Diwali.

DAY 1: DHANTERAS

The series of festivals start with Dhanteras, by worshiping 4 Deities, in the following chronological order.

Lord Dhanvantari: The Deity of Health

Lord Yam: The Deity of Death

Goddess Lakshmi: The Deity of Wealth & fortune

Lord Kuber: The Deity of Prosperity.

Each of them has a deep symbolic meaning for our overall wellness & growth in life.

Let us understand the science behind each of them:

Lord Dhanvantari for Health

Remembering the Lord of Health at the very beginning of the festival symbolizes that health is of primary importance.

It is an old saying “Health is Wealth”.

We are born healthy then how do we fall ill?

Two main reasons for falling sick are as below. Once we take care of them, we can live a healthy life.

Psychosomatic Diseases: 90% of the diseases are psychosomatic in nature that means the reason of disease is in the mind like stress, anxiety or depression; and its effects are manifested on the body.

Rituals: We celebrate the festival for five long days, wear new clothes, make delicious food, buy gifts, distribute gifts to friends and family, get filled with positive hope by offering prayers for health, money & prosperity.

Intellectual Logic: Same as we have seen before that if we spend on these items, we will shell out our saving and become poor by that much of amount.

Psychological facts:

Opposite emotions cannot stay in our mind at the same time. So when we are happy and celebrative; negative emotions like anxiety, depression, stress, unhappiness have to go out.

Newness brings thrill in life and thrill is followed by happiness. When we do so many new things, it brings thrill followed by happiness in life.

Law of Attraction: What we hope and desire with totality & trust, we start attracting and getting them in life. When we offer prayers for health, money etc. we are not only filled with hope but with lot of trust. Law of attraction starts working and makes our desires fulfilled.

Infectious Diseases: 10% of the diseases are said to be infectious like viral infection etc. Mosquitoes are the major carriers.

Ritual: Thorough cleaning of the house before Diwali because Goddess Laksmi (Money) comes in a house which is clean

Diwali comes immediately after the rainy season. During this time lot of mosquitoes, insects etc. are there and if there are any untouched corners or areas in the house; they stay and grow there. Therefore, cleaning the house in this season is good to save us from infectious diseases.

On one hand, cleaning the house fills us with thrill, & hope of attracting more money, on the other hand saves us from the viral and other type of infections.

Lord Yam for Death

Next important thing is to get rid of our fears as they are negative emotions and are responsible for our psychosomatic diseases and a big hurdle to our happiness.

All fears are because of fear of Death

Somewhere deep down, we have a fear of Death and whatever event or person triggers that, we feel fear.

So if we can get rid of fear of death, eventually we will get rid of all our fears. That’s why we remember the Lord of Death.

Ritual: If you lit a lamp in South, you will be saved from premature death; and hence we can get rid of fear of death.

Logic: All our ancestors had lit the lamp but they have died; then how come we will not die.

Science:

We are not only a body and mind but also the consciousness. When we do meditation, we experience that body and mind are not “me” but “mine”. Our true self is the very consciousness, which never dies. Body is evanescent. It is bound to end, bound to die. So, when we meditate; as a result our identity will change from body to consciousness; then we get an understanding that I cannot die.

The light of the lamp also has important significance. When you go deep in meditation, you will experience that one of the characteristics of our consciousness is Divine Light, a light that is illuminating in the entire consciousness. Lighting a lamp means to experience that divine light of our consciousness. Once we do that, our fear of death goes away.

Fear of death is a motivation to start meditation. You would have seen that only human being meditate and no other creature. That is because only human being is matured enough to realize the death.

Goddess Lakshmi & Lord Kuber for Wealth and Prosperity

After becoming healthy & getting rid of our fears, the next important thing is to have money and prosperity so that we can buy whatever we want; we become successful.

Science of Becoming rich: Another name of money is CURRENCY. Currency is something that has current; that flows. Why money is called currency, because if flows from one person to another.

Prosperity comes not only by having the money but by spending, by movement, by flow of currency.

Because of these rituals, it is estimated that India spends nearly 250 Billion rupees on Diwali shopping every year.

When everyone spends a little, may be for the sake of rituals, the money flows and the value of currency increases.

During Diwali, everything is sold, stating from expensive gold ornaments, to gifts to small value items like candles, calendars, decorative items.

That means that everyone gets the livelihood. Even a poor who is making the earthenware also gets livelihood. Everyone earns on Diwali because the currency is in flow.

You would be surprised to know that the countries where the culture is not of saving but of spending, the prosperity is coming. May it be countries of Europe or USA.

Those who have made the rituals knew the economics very well that let the money flow and prosperity is bound to come in life.

Psychological reasons of giving gifts, we have already discussed above.

DAY 2: CHOTI DIWALI

On this day, some people take a holy dip in the holy Ganges River. Wear new clothes and visit their friends to give gifts and best wishes.

Since this is a day before Diwali, we eagerly wait for The Diwali Day and have lot of excitement.

Let us see the science behind each one of them.

Science Behind Holy Dip in holy river Ganga

Belief: It is believed that taking a holy dip can absolve a person of his previous sins and he could be saved from going to hell.

Science: As a counselor, I have experienced many people suffering from problems or unhappiness because of guilt. You can also experience from your experiences that when you have a feeling of guilt, you feel unhappy.

After fear, another strong negative emotion that is a reason of unhappiness and psychosomatic diseases is GUILT.

Taking a holy bath that absolves a person of his sins, is actually a technique to releasing the feeling of GUILT.

The moment we are free from guilt, we are filled with positivity, hope, happiness and trust.

Science Behind Eagerly waiting for Diwali

After getting rid of negative emotions like fear & guilt, the next step is to attract Happiness.

We get HAPPINESS when we achieve something. Getting a good result or visiting a place or meeting someone.

Therefore, happiness is very momentary, for a very short time. After we have achieved, the happiness is no longer experienced.

There cannot always be the opportunity of achieving something.

Then how to be with the positive emotions for a longer time?

Exultation, thrill, excitement, joy etc. are the positive feelings that stay with us for a long time. You would have experienced the thrill of upcoming weekend starts from “Thursday” itself, the thrill you get a day before you have to go for a picnic, or a thrill a day before your childhood friend is coming, a thrill before meeting your loved one.

On Choti Diwali, we have decorated our house, got new clothes & gifts, and distributed the gifts and now waiting for the important day of Diwali when the celebration will be on the climax. This wait for positive events gives us exultation, a thrill, a joy which are positive emotions that can last for a long time.

DAY 3: DIWALI FESTIVAL

Now the long awaited Diwali has come. When the wait is over, the HAPPINESS is at its peak.

Belief

It is believed that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya, a place in North India. When he was there, just because of his presence, there was happiness everywhere.

As he grows young, the circumstances take such a turn that he has to go on exile in jungle for 14 years. He had mixed good and bad experiences. Sometimes he was happy when he met the Saints and was unhappy when his wife was taken away by Ravan.

There he kills Ravan and returns back to Ayodhya.

Diwali is celebrated in the honor & celebration of returning of Lord Ram back to Ayodhya.

When Lord Ram returns back to Ayodhya, he was welcomed by light of the lamps and sound of the crackers. There was happiness all around.

Now let us see the science behind each one of them

Science behind “Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya and everyone was happy”

We are born happy.

Let us understand by an example.

We feel happy when we get money or power or respect or success or appreciation. Means, when we achieve something, we feel happy.

Many of us feel that our most happy period was our childhood.

You would be surprised that why were we happy when we were a child?

We had no money or anything that makes us happy now. On the contrary, we were dependent on parents and elders. And dependence gives unhappiness.

That was because we were connected with our consciousness and hence we were happy. We knew special type of Happiness that was without any reason or a cause.

It is represented by the belief that when Lord Ram was in Ayodhya, there was happiness all around.

Science behind “Lord Ram went to exile, WHEN HE GREW YOUNG”

Happiness is inside but success is outside.

For success, our consciousness needs to travel in the world. We go to school, college, get proper education, get a job and become capable to earn our livelihood.

Means we have to do some worldly affairs to become successful.

This fact is represented by the belief that when Lord Ram became young, he had to go to exile, away from Ayodhya.

Science behind “Lord Ram went to exile, TO JUNGLE”

Jungle is a representation of a place where there are no roads. It is grass everywhere and one has to find his own path. As he moves along, the path is built.

It represents that, for success, there are no pre-built paths or predefined roads to success. Everyone has to make his own path to success. As we proceed, the path is constructed.

Science Behind “Lord Ram had mixed good and bad experiences”

When our consciousness is in the external world and not connected to itself, then there are reasons of happiness. If things happen as per our wishes, we get happy and if not, we become unhappy.

Science Behind “Lord Ram kills Ravan and returns back to Ayodhya. He was welcomed by light of the lamps and sound of the crackers. There was happiness all around.”

After completing our work or activities that we have planned to become Successful in the world, we should return back to our own source, return back to our consciousness.

Why?

Because we have seen above that the HAPPINESS WITHOUT A REASON is only when we are connected to our consciousness, like a small child.

This returning to the source is possible through MEDITATION.

When we meditate, we get experience of our consciousness.

In deep meditation, we experience the divine light and divine sound. Which are represented by candle lights & sound of crackers when Lord Ram returned back to Ayodhya.

Through meditation, whenever we return back to our own consciousness, we are also welcome by divine light & divine sound. And our life gets full of Happiness, irrespective of the situations and circumstances in the external world. The HAPPINESS WITHOUT A REASON.

DAY 4: GOVARDHAN POOJA

This is a day after Diwali.

Ritual

I am sure you are aware about the story of Lord Krishna. How he lifted the Govardhan Parvat (a mountain) on his little finger tip and saved the entire village from the heavy rain that was due to the egoistic attitude of Lord Indr.

On this day, Govardhan Parvat is worshiped.

Then every person, every family contributes some or the other raw material to prepare the food. One will contribute vegetables; other will contribute milk and so on.

Then with this collected raw material, people will jointly cook the food for all the families of the society. Everyone sits together and enjoys the food. They celebrate and enjoy together.

The Science Behind these rituals

We have seen above that till the day of Diwali, through meditation, we learnt the art of getting connected with our consciousness and have experienced a special Happiness that is without any reason.

Now what is the next step?

When the clouds are full of water, it sheds water in the form of rain.

Similarly, when our happiness overflows, it wants to get distributed, it wants to get shared with others.

THIS OVERFLOWING HAPPINESS IS LOVE.

When we are happy, we love others. We love our neighbors, we love the rivers, we love the mountains, we love the animals, we love the entire nature.

The ritual of community gathering, common food, meeting people and worship of mountain are the symbol of a Happy People where the happiness is overflowing.

We give what we have

If we are happy, we will give love and if we are unhappy, we will give hatred.

Let us analyze our own lives. Are we giving love or hatred?

At the level of society, we have polluted the air, polluted the water, polluted the land and made a hole in the ozone layer.

The cases of eve teasing are increasing, suicides are increasing, rapes are increasing, matrimonial disputes are increasing, child parent relations are getting strained.

Victims of stress, anxiety and depression are increasing, our fears are increasing.

These are few of the many evidences that show our level of happiness has come down drastically as compared to those times when we used to love not only other people but also the nature.

Question?

Many of you might have a question that after we have experienced happiness without a reason and our happiness is overflowing then why are we sharing it with our neighbors & nature and not with our family?

There is a deep routed symbolic message which is validated by Psychology also.

Where we have expectations, it is difficult to love.

Therefore, the following chronology is suggested to follow:

We have absolutely no expectation from the mountains, rivers, sun and nature. Therefore showering love on them is very easy. That should be the first target.

We have minimum expectations with our neighbors. Therefore, the second category where we can easily share love are our neighbors.

You would have experienced that you feel comfortable to discuss with strangers, a counselor but not with your family members.

DAY 5: BHAI DAUJ

This is the last day of the series of Diwali Festivals; the climax of the quality of our life.

This festival is celebrated as a symbol of love between brother and sister.

Science Behind Bhai Dauj

After showering the fountain of overflowing happiness in the form of love on nature and neighbors; the next step is the step to shower love on our family members; the close relatives.

As we have seen above that when we have expectations with someone, it is difficult to love them.

As we have most of the expectations from our family members hence it is most difficult and the last step in the chronology to shower love on them.

You might be surprised to know this, but as a counselor, I meet many people who are unhappy because of their loved ones.

Suggestion to improve your relationships

You cannot change the other. The other will remain the way he is.

Therefore, to improve not only the relationship but also your level of happiness, it is recommended to reduce your expectation with your family members.

CONCLUSION

We have seen above that Diwali is not only a bundle of rituals to be followed only by certain group of people for five days; but a way to improve the quality of life.

The chronology is also important

First we need to improve our health; clean our surroundings; get rid of negative emotions like fears and guilt through meditation; experience happiness without a reason; go to the external world to become successful; getting connected to our consciousness through meditation to regularly experience the happiness without a reason; then shower the overflowing happiness in the form of love on nature, neighbors and finally to our family members.

“CONQUER THE SUCCESS” training is on the same lines

We have designed a 6 days training Conquer The Success on the same lines as to how to become Successful together with health, happiness and cordial relations with family & friends.

No rituals, only very scientific understands and practical implementation tools.

Conquer The SuccessTraining has 6 modules. Each module is of 1 day.

Module 1: Understanding Success & Happiness and move in the right direction.

Module 2: How to take important decisions & make choices that lead us to Success. If we are not able to take the decisions, we are likely to enter into anxiety.

Module 3: How to implement the decision. Because, planning followed by implementation leads to Success, else Depression.

Module 4: How to keep your self Healthy.

Module 5: How to keep cordial relations with family, friends & at workplace.

Module 6: How to be happy, joyful & celebration in life through meditation. How to get rid of the negative emotions.